U of M Crookston commencement set for Saturday

Almost 200 students representing 13 countries and 25 states will receive their degrees; 25 online graduates setting foot on campus for the first time.

Times Staff

The Class of 2013 will be honored during commencement exercises at the University of Minnesota Crookston this Saturday.

It at 2 p.m. in Lysaker Gym and will include almost 200 students, representing 13 countries and 25 states and recognizing more than 25 online graduates who are setting foot on the campus for the first time. A reception in the Northern Lights Lounge, Sargeant Student Center, will precede the commencement ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is welcome to attend both events; no tickets are required.

A reception will be held on Friday for all online graduates from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the NWSA Alseth Business Boardroom in Dowell Hall. A reception for international student graduates will be held following commencement exercises at 4 p.m. in Bede Ballroom.

On Saturday at 2 p.m., the formal procession of faculty, candidates for degrees, and platform guests will begin from the Sargeant Student Center to the gymnasium led by Mace Bearer William Peterson, professor in the Math, Science, and Technology Department. The procession also includes Faculty Marshal W. Daniel Svedarsky, professor and director of the Center for Sustainability on the Crookston campus.

Bringing greetings from the University of Minnesota Board of Regents is the Honorable John R. Frobenius, from St. Cloud, who will also assist with the conferring of the degrees.

UMC alumnus Kevin Kopischke ’72 will give the commencement address. Kopischke, who graduated from the U of M, Crookston with a degree in hotel, restaurant, and institutional management in 1972, is the president of Alexandria Technical College in Alexandria, Minn. Kopischke earned his doctorate in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota; his master’s in educational leadership and a bachelor’s in marketing education, both from St. Cloud State University.

UMC Alumni Association (UMCAA) Board President Karl Syverson ’11, will bring greetings from the UMCAA and welcome the new graduates to the alumni association.

Graduating senior Adam Switzer, Crookston Student Association (CSA) president, will speak on behalf of the Class of 2013 and pass the torch of education, a Crookston campus tradition, to junior Alexmai Addo, the incoming CSA president. Switzer, from Apple Valley, Minn., is majoring in Sport and Recreation Management. Addo is a Communication major from Monrovia, Liberia.

The U of M, Crookston choir, under the direction of Associate Professor George French, will sing two selections, and the string ensemble, A Touch of Brass, will perform as part of the graduation ceremony.

The 2013 commencement exercises mark the 105th graduating class to be recognized on the Crookston campus. A live audio stream of the commencement exercises will be at umcrookston.edu/people/services/MediaServ/Stream.htm. For more information, visit umcrookston.edu/commencement.

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